Photo courtesy of Martyn Thompson/Trunk Archive
What’s the Best Way to Use and Clean Your Cookware?
Knowing how to use and care for your cookware properly can do just as much for your food life as knowing how to cook. But memorizing rules for which types of pots get cleaned which way can feel arbitrary when you don’t understand why. After we nerded out and learned some of the science behind what different cookware types—nonstick ceramic, cast-iron, carbon steel, cast-iron enamel, and stainless steel—are made of and how they conduct heat, we found it a lot easier to make sense of it all. The essential tips are below (we spared you the unabridged version of the lecture on thermal shock), along with some of our favorite recipes for when you’re ready to take your favorite pan out for a spin.
NONSTICK CERAMIC
What is it?
Most nonstick pans have traditionally been made with synthetic plastic coatings, like Teflon. But there were many concerns about toxic PFOAs leeching into the food if the pan got too hot or if you scraped away at the coating with metal utensils.
Fortunately, nonstick ceramic is different. Ceramic is a sand-based coating applied to a pan and then cured to achieve a nonstick finish. This coating is permanently adhered and won’t evaporate, chip, or flake off.
How do I use it?
Ceramic is a great conductor of heat, so you don’t need to use more than medium-high heat to do serious cooking. If you’re using heat that’s on the higher end, try an oil with a higher smoke point, like avocado, coconut, or sunflower seed oil—it’s less likely to burn than oils or fats with lower smoke points. Also, avoid any kind of spray oil, be it aerosol or even a pump spray. When you spray oil, it beads on the surface of the pan and can lead to carbonization (burning). Metal utensils are not recommended, though unlike traditional nonstick, it’s not because of potentially toxic elements—it just causes damage to the surface of the pan over time. If your ceramic nonstick has an oven-safe handle, it should be able to go from stove to oven as well. Other than that, use it as you’d normally use a nonstick: It’s great for all sorts of everyday cooking projects, and especially helpful for anything sticky or delicate, like eggs, grilled cheese, and crepes.
How do I clean it?
Before cleaning, allow the pan to cool fully. This will help you avoid thermal shock—when you shock a hot pan with cool water—which can cause damage and warping. Then hand-wash (while the dishwasher isn’t inherently unsafe for nonstick ceramic, most detergents are quite abrasive and can damage the nonstick coating over time). Use warm soapy water and a gentle sponge. If cared for properly, your nonstick ceramic pans should last at least five years.
Troubleshooting
If you notice your pan starts to stick more and there are some stubborn stains on its surface, you might suspect that the coating has degraded, but actually this is due to carbonization. This happens when the pan is brought to too high of a temperature and the oil essentially burns and sticks on top of the nonstick ceramic coating. You can avoid carbonization by making sure never to use more than medium-high heat and by using oils with a higher smoke point. If soap and warm water aren’t cutting it, you can try gently heating some water in the pan over low heat to release some of the oils from the surface. If that still doesn’t work, a melamine sponge should do the trick.
In Our Kitchens
Our first-ever cookware line, designed with GreenPan’s clean, nontoxic, nonstick, dishwasher-safe Thermolon Minerals Pro technology. This assortment covers all your cooking needs from simply frying an egg or boiling pasta to more elaborate bakes and roasts. Equal parts beautiful and practical, you’ll be reaching for these goop Home pieces every day. They are simply a joy to cook with.
CAST IRON
What is it?
As the name suggests, cast-iron pans are made by pouring molten iron into molds and forming pans. They’re a joy to cook with and probably the best in the business when it comes to heat distribution—meaning the entire surface of the pan will be evenly heated without tricky hot spots—and heat retention.
Cast iron is rustic and can seem nostalgic or almost romantic if, say, you’ve inherited your grandmother’s perfectly seasoned and maintained skillet. The reason grandma’s cast iron has that incredible I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-nonstick seasoned surface is because she probably took really good care of it. If you’re going to invest in good cast iron and avoid its quirks, be prepared to put in a little effort. A few examples: Cast iron can take on the flavor of soap if left to soak. Or rust if not properly dried. There are also some acidic foods that react with an unfinished iron surface, like tomatoes, wine, citrus, and vinegar. None of these are insurmountable issues, but it takes some know-how.
Right off the bat, you can make your life easier by choosing a cast-iron pan with a polished interior. Over a hundred years ago, polished cast-iron used to be the industry standard, but it’s become harder to find as cheaper unpolished cast-iron pans have become the norm. We pick polished because they are stunning, and the polish leaves the pan with a less porous surface, which keeps food from sticking and makes maintaining that layer of seasoning even easier.
How do I use it?
Similar to nonstick ceramic, cast iron doesn’t need maximum heat because it’s so good at retaining and distributing heat. Medium to medium-high should get the job done—but it can also handle extreme high heat from pizza ovens or directly in the fire if you’re camp-cooking. Beyond that, there are so many ways to use it. Fast-and-hot cooking like seared or grilled steak or veggies, long-simmered stews, low-and-slow braises, one-pot wonders, and stove-to-oven dishes like cassoulet all work well in a cast-iron.
If you’re using brand-new cast iron, you’ll want to avoid super acidic dishes like marinara sauce or shrimp scampi at first. After a couple weeks of regular and proper care (depending how often you use it), it will develop that layer of seasoning, and then you can cook whatever you want in there. But the easiest thing to do help develop and maintain the seasoning layer is to cook in it regularly. Don’t be shy or reserve it for special occasions. It should be an everyday pan.
How do I clean it?
The biggest misconceptions about cast-iron pans are related to cleaning and care (just google it and see how many articles with differing advice pop up). And yes, there are a few practices that you should avoid—namely, soaking with water and soap or using a dishwasher—but the remarkable thing about cast iron is that no matter how bad it seems, that seasoning layer can almost always be brought back.
Depending on what you cooked, you might only need to wipe the pan out with a kitchen towel. And generally speaking, a quick rinse with warm water and a little soap is okay as long as you dry it completely. More-stubborn messes are helped by a chain-mail scrubber or even a sprinkle of coarse salt to help release burned bits. Regardless of the type of cleaning your pan requires, it should get a seasoning after each use.
To season the pan, slick it with some oil (any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work) and heat it up (either on the stove or in a hot oven). Once the pan starts to smoke, you’re all set and can turn off the heat and let it cool. Your pan has been successfully seasoned!
Troubleshooting
If you properly clean and season your pan, you should be in the clear. On the off chance that you end up with rust, a good wash and scrub with chain-mail should do the trick. After that deep of a clean, it’s essentially like you’re starting over again with the seasoning layer, so you might need to go through the process a few times to get it back to where it was.
In Our Kitchens
The polished cast-iron pieces from Smithey Ironware Co. are striking to look at, and that extra level of craftsmanship is particularly noticeable when you cook with them. They exemplify everything we love about cast-iron cooking—even heat distribution, incredible heat retention—and they sear a steak like no other.
CARBON STEEL
What is it?
Carbon steel pans are forged from a large piece of steel, then cut and hammered out to the desired size and shape. They’re loved by many restaurant chefs because they perform similarly to cast iron at half the weight. Because of this, they heat up more quickly and are slightly worse at heat retention—still better than aluminum, though.
How do I use it?
Many carbon steel pans are designed with shallower sides, allowing for lots of stirring and movement: Think stir-fries and sautés. These pans are also oven-safe, so they’re ideal for gently finishing steaks and fish after searing. They can also handle extreme heat, like a campfire or a pizza oven. Because the surface can get so hot so quickly, be sure to use metal, wooden, or heatproof silicone utensils.
How do I clean it?
Warm water and a small amount of soap with a nonscratch scouring pad should do the trick. Carbon steel pans can rust, so like cast iron, they need to be dried well and seasoned after each use.
Troubleshooting
If your carbon steel pan is rusty or if the seasoning layer seems shot, don’t worry. This luckily is all reversible. You can scrub the rust off with a nonscratch scouring pad and reseason with oil and heat on the stove or in the oven.
In Our Kitchens
Cooking with carbon steel will make you feel like a pro chef. Unsurprisingly, we love Smithey Ironware Co.’s carbon steel as much as we love its cast iron. It’s that happy marriage of form and function that Smithey does so well—the pieces are timeless in both craftsmanship and beauty.
CAST-IRON ENAMEL
What is it?
Cast iron with enamel coating has all the wonderful heat-retaining properties of cast iron and requires less in terms of maintenance. Even better is cast iron with a matte enamel, like Staub. Other enamel finishes are smooth and glossy, but the matte finish Staub has developed mimics the surface of traditional cast iron, making it ideal for searing. Glossy enamel finishes also tend to show every scratch and can stain easily—Staub’s matte black finish looks chic even after years and years of use.
How do I use it?
These pans will perform almost exactly like cast iron, although since both the exterior and interior have enamel finishes, it’s best to keep the heat at medium-high. Don’t worry, it’s still incredibly effective when it comes to retaining and distributing heat, so it won’t hold your cooking back. Also, wood utensils are preferred for maintaining the integrity of the matte enamel surface as long as possible.
How do I clean it?
Clean your cast-iron enamel pots and pans as you would normally hand-wash anything—with warm soapy water and a nonabrasive sponge. You can soak difficult messes without worrying about rust or the pan taking on a soap taste since the enamel coating protects the cast iron. It’s always a good idea to let your cookware cool down before washing it to avoid thermal shock, no matter how sturdy your pieces may seem. Last, while Staub cast-iron enamel is technically dishwasher-safe, this is one of those just-because-you-can-doesn’t-mean-you-should scenarios. Hand-washing is a better way to protect and preserve your cast-iron enamel cookware.
Troubleshooting
There really isn’t much to troubleshoot here if you follow the use and care steps above. The matte enamel coating eliminates most of the quirks of traditional cast iron, so you don’t have to stress over maintenance.
In Our Kitchens
Staub cast-iron enamel is superior because of the matte enamel interior finish—it cooks like regular cast iron on the inside, looks refined and table-ready on the outside, and is incredibly easy to maintain.
STAINLESS STEEL
What is it?
High-quality stainless steel pans usually have an aluminum or copper core—making them even better conductors of heat. Stainless steel is loved by chefs and home cooks alike because it’s sturdy and durable: no need to worry about chipping or breaking. It’s a real workhorse. It can handle high-heat cooking, though a good aluminum or copper core will ensure that it’s a good enough conductor of heat to not need to be pushed beyond medium high.
How do I use it?
Stainless steel is incredibly versatile—use it to sauté veggies simply as in this pasta sauce or seamlessly transfer from stove to oven when pan-roasting chicken. It’s not a nonstick surface, but you can get near-nonstick performance by properly heating your oil in the pan before adding other ingredients and by making sure your ingredients are close to room temperature. Cold food in a hot pan is more likely to stick.
How do I clean it?
Let your cookware cool before hand-washing with soapy water. You can let heavier messes soak in warm water or simmer on low heat with water for a few minutes and loosen the stuck-on bits with a wooden spoon. Stainless steel cookware is usually dishwasher-safe, but there is some disagreement among experts about the long-term effects of the abrasiveness of dishwashing detergents. As a rule, if your manufacturer says it’s okay (the folks at Brigade Kitchen do!), you’re probably fine. Hand-washing, however, has no adverse effects on your cookware.
Troubleshooting
The issues that tend to come up with stainless steel are cosmetic. It’s prone to watermarks, chalky calcium buildup, and slight discoloration. In most cases, this can be avoided by immediately drying your cookware with a cloth instead of drip-drying, and using a gentle cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend on pesky trouble spots.
In Our Kitchens
Stainless steel is the ultimate utilitarian, as is this Brigade Kitchen set. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. A great option for a new cook starting out or for a seasoned pro rounding out their collection.
